Urban Practical Skills (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Jacque Cartwright
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Aims, Sampling, Equipment & Risk Assessment
Urban Environment Fieldwork Enquiry
To undertake the urban fieldwork enquiry there are a range of practical skills and methods will be used
These can apply to any urban fieldwork
The fieldwork enquiry should be linked to geographical theory
In the urban fieldwork enquiry the theories of the changes in urban land use and sustainability
Aims and Hypothesis
The aims and hypothesis come from the questions asked about the change in urban environments such as:
How does the quality of the urban environment vary along a transect?
What impact on the urban environment does the building of a new housing estate/road/industrial estate have?
How has the land use on the urban fringe changed?
Examples of an aim would be:
An investigation into the environmental impact of a new road/housing estate/business park in the city of Y
An investigation into changes in land use on the urban-rural fringe of the city of X
An investigation into environmental quality from the CBD to the urban fringe in the city of W
Hypotheses are statements that are tested through fieldwork
An example of a hypothesis would be:
Environmental quality improves with distance from the CBD
A null hypothesis is a statement that is opposite to a hypothesis
This ensures there is no bias when collecting the evidence
You are not ignoring evidence because it doesn't prove the statement
If you cannot prove the statement then the opposite must be true
Examples of a null hypothesis would be:
Environmental quality does not improve with distance from the CBD
After the aims and hypothesis have been established the next steps are to:
Select the sites - this will involve sampling
Decide on the equipment to be used
Consider health and safety issues - complete a risk assessment
Data collection methods to be used
Worked Example
State the title of your geographical enquiry.
Explain one reason why this title was suitable for your geographical enquiry
(2 Marks)
Award 1 mark for identifying a reason and a further expansion mark up to a maximum of 2 marks
The title was both manageable and achievable. (1). Meaning that our primary data could be designed to fully answer the title set (1)
The urban model allowed us to test a theory (1), so the title and focus were established to challenge the assumptions in the model (1)
It was linked to a place close to school (1). Therefore, the data we collected would help answer the initial question set (1)
Site Selection and Sampling
It is not practical to take measurements or look at changes in all parts of the urban environment
To select sites sampling should be used
True sampling will:
Reduce bias
Provide an overview of the whole
There may be situations where access to the sample site may be limited meaning an opportunistic approach may need to be taken
However, this should be as close as possible to the site selected using sampling
The most commonly used sampling strategies for urban environment enquiries are:
Systematic - a sampling of sites/people at regular intervals along a transect line
Random - all sites have an equal chance of being selected
Stratified - sampling sites which represent the whole
If 10% of the population is over 65 then 10% of a questionnaire sample should be over 65
Site location can be recorded using GPS to give an accurate location using latitude and longitude
Use of grid reference and compass points can also be used
Worked Example
State one type of sampling you used in your geographical enquiry
(1 Marks)
Answer: Award 1 mark for any of the following:
Systematic (1)
Stratified (1)
Random (1)
Pragmatic (1)
Opportunistic (1)
Accept any other appropriate response
Note: Title not required for credit
Explain one way this sampling technique helped you to collect reliable data or information
(2 Marks)
Answer: Award 1 mark for a reason further mark for extension through explanation, up to a maximum of 2 marks:
It allowed find out about the spatial variation in the area of study (1) so that we knew that we would get good spatial coverage to minimise bias (1)
Stratified sampling was used as we had census data about the town's population (1) so we could design a fair sampling frame for the questionnaire about urban change that we were using (1)
Accept any other appropriate response, e.g. asking “different people” is allowable
Equipment
To complete the urban environments enquiry a range of equipment is needed
The equipment needed may include the following:
Record sheets
Interview Sheets
Pencil for completing recording sheets
Camera to take photographs of land use
Digital noise meter
Environmental Quality Surveys
Maps
Risk Assessment
Any fieldwork will involve consideration of health and safety using a risk assessment
Risks specifically associated with urban environment fieldwork may include:
Weather conditions
Working in an unfamiliar place
Traffic
Getting lost
Speaking to strangers
Pollution
Cars
Worked Example
Explain one way you could manage risk during fieldwork in a regenerated urban area
(3 Marks)
Answer: Award 1 mark for a correct suggested way to manage risk, with a further 2 marks for expansion:
Remain alert (1) to ensure awareness of traffic (1) to prevent accidents (1)
Wear appropriate clothing (1) to ensure remain comfortable during fieldwork (1) and reduce the chance of illness (1)
The uneven ground in urban areas poses a risk of slipping or falling (1) appropriate footwear (1) with good tread for grip (1)
Work in groups (1) to ensure safety (1) against unexpected events (1)
Using Equipment in the Field
The data collection methods depend on the aims/hypothesis of the fieldwork
In urban environment fieldwork the only equipment which may be used is a digital decibel meter
Other data collection may include questionnaires, traffic counts and environmental quality surveys
Data collection should include both quantitative and qualitative methods
Questionnaires
Questionnaires can be used to gather the opinions of local people on change in the urban environment
An example of a statement question would be:
'The building of the new housing estate has increased traffic.' Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree?
An example of a closed question would be:
'How long have you lived in this area?'
An example of an open questions would be:
'What are your views on the new housing development in ............?'
These can be used to gather a large data sample
Environmental Quality Surveys
Environmental Quality Surveys (EQS) can be used to compare different sites with in the urban area
A survey would be completed for each site
Care needs to be taken to be as objective as possible
Feature | Negative | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Positive |
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Pavements | Pavements damaged and cracked in poor state of repair |
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| Good quality pavements in excellent state of repair |
Buildings | Buildings look derelict and uncared for |
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| Buildings look well cared for |
Litter | Lots of litter |
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| No litter |
Traffic | Lots of traffic and congestion |
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| No traffic |
Green space | No green space, trees or vegetation |
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| Lots of green space, trees and other vegetation |
Graffiti | Lots of graffiti |
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| No graffiti |
Traffic and Pedestrian Flow Surveys
Traffic and pedestrian flow surveys can be used to compare the traffic and pedestrian levels at different sample sites
They can be completed on a tally chart at different sites and different times of the day
Vehicle | 9am | 11am | 1pm | 3pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Car |
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Bus |
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Lorry |
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Motorbike |
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Bicycle |
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Worked Example
Identify one type of quantitative data used in an urban environment land use change enquiry
(1 Mark)
Answer:
Environmental surveys (1)
Traffic/pedestrian surveys (1)
Closed questions from questionnaires (1)
Photographs and Field Sketches
Photographs and field sketches are qualitative data
Just as with any data collection and presentation they have their strengths and weaknesses
In an urban environment enquiry, photographs and field sketches can be used to show changes in land use and their impact on the environment at sample site locations
Photographs are also useful for illustrating the data collection methods used
Worked Example
Explain why field sketches are a useful form of primary data
(2 Marks)
Answer:
Can capture lots of detail (1) which means they can be examined properly after the field trip has ended (1)
Highlights specific features which relate to the other data collected (1) so can be used to support other forms of data collection (1)
Easy to annotate to show details (1) so can help with analysis (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Annotations and labels are not the same. A label is a simple descriptive point. For example, 'litter'. Whereas an annotation is a label with a more detailed description or explanatory point. For example, 'Large amounts of litter near to a playground where there are no bins available.
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